Condolement
by ThunderStorm-8
Summary: A downcast Sakura relies on one constant teammate for support and a cure for her lonliness, but as the years go by what kind of condolance can he offer? More pairings in later chapters, M for a reason. Chapter 3 up
1. It begins with Ramen

All I have to say for this one is that I adore the pairing Kakashi/Sakura, though I like to pair them up when she's older and had a chance to be with different people. I think Sakura is a great reminder that you don't stay with the first person you fall in love with. A person can have many very real loves in their life, and all that matters is who you eventually end up with.

Also, if you have a DeviantArt account, or would like to make one specifically for the cause, I've started a Society/Club there to help artists improve themselves as performers and as human beings living in an ever changing world. I'd love to have some writers join. Pleeeease? societyofartists deviantart com

A hokage has many responsibilities. First: she must show herself in the best conduct possible, pay attention to that word _possible_. Second: she must put up with a lethal amount of paperwork. Third: she must respect the wishes of the council—no matter how old and senile they may get. And fourth: she must take care over each and every ninja and citizen in her charge to the best of her abilities and time.

Tsunade sighed painfully as she gazed around at the haphazard, hopelessly high pile of paper and scrolls that littered her desk. How long had she been cooped up in this frustrating office anyway? Where were her boys? Those obnoxiously bright heads that would pop in and disrupt the boredom of her life. 'Teh.' That's right. They were off training. Honing their skills as teacher and student in order to bring back a certain troublesome Uchiha orphan.

With a chin propped on her hand, her lips covered by her fingers and her eyes cast towards the cloudy window she remember the other bright thing in her lonely life. "Shizune, where's Sakura? She hasn't come by for a new assignment in a while…"

The timid assistance answered: "I haven't seen her."

"Well!" Tsunade braced herself against the old desk with both palms flat against the worn wood, rose from the seat with a graceful push, and stretched her arms. "I think it's high time I took a walk. Don't you think?" "Y-yes!"

A few minutes later a very irked Tsunade stood with her arms crossed, her foot tapping, and her heavy gaze fixed on the ninja seal that was keeping her from her study and student. "Sakura." Her voice was stern and meant to be obeyed. "Open up! Are you sleeping?" The blonde woman struck the barrier brashly, intent on either scaring her pink haired pupil into consciousness or submission; but what she felt from beyond the locked door cooled her temper and purpose. She recognized this aura much too well. Contemplation kept her silent for a minute or so before she asked her beloved assistant. "Is Kakashi available?"

:o:o:o:

The silver haired ninja—who _thought_ he was supposed to be on weekend—came quickly once summoned. Confused, he watched the Hokage motion swiftly at the difficult door. "Open it."

"…All due respect Tsunade, but that's a very easy t-" "Just do it!" After snapping she seemed to regret it, but instead of offering an apology she began to explain. "It seems Sakura, your student, has barricaded herself inside. Right now she must be very lonely, her teammates gone and…with such a neglectful tutor as myself." Her eyes caught his and she saw him register the facts. "As a part of her cell I want you to handle this."

Kakashi nodded, realizing but not quite understanding what the crisis was. Right away he recognized the seal as one he'd personally taught her, so it was easily taken care of.

"Sakura?" He tried, pushing the door open—at the same time knocking over the 'just in case' bookshelf as well. "Sakura?" He tried again, prodding the darkness of the room with his words.

Outside a rain was brewing, and so the sky offered no sunlight to chase out the shadows of the unlit room. He felt her in the corner and, approaching, saw her a second later.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called again, this time a little louder, as he knelt down before his young student.

She was curled into herself, her knees against her chest and her arms around them. Her chin was on the flat white tops, and from what he could see her eyes were watching nothing.

A sudden flash of lighting graced him with sight, and he took the gift in with surprise. Grasping her pale cheek and chin with a hand that seemed fiery compared to her temperature, he tried to make those empty eyes look at him.

Sakura's hair was unattended to and there were tearstains on the sides of her face—though they were long dried, as if the tears had stopped days before. Her lips were red from being chewed and chapped from the constant abuse. "Sakura." The guilt ridden teacher stroked his student's head, trying to get her to respond. 'Damn it, how long has she been shut up like this?'

Her body seemed smaller, much too small, and as he lifted her arm to check her pulse it felt much too light.

"Sensei…" Came a small voice, finally answering his multiple calls. "Sensei?"

Kakashi smiled at her, relieved greatly by the acknowledgment of his presence. "Ah."

Sakura blinked, looked around at the room, then down to reached for his hands, managing to grasp the one that wasn't in her hair. To the older man she might have been a kitten discovering her first human.

When she had his hand, had touched it and felt the warmth it gave off even though it was gloved she blinked again. Another blink had her looking up at him, and suddenly her thirteen-year-old form was flying at him. "Kakashi-sensei!"

He caught the small body, wrapped his arms around it and tried to think.

"W-why were you gone so long?" Her voice sounded broken, though there were no more tears left to cry out. Sakura struck out again his back, hitting it with her fist. "Why?" The attack, of course, did no damage, though Kakashi's pity and self loathing rose considerably. "Why is everyone…always leaving me behind?"

"We don't mean to." He tried to explain as he swooped her into his arms to lift. The experienced ninja wanted to coax more out of her, but she only lay limply against his chest.

Kakashi's eye darted up to Tsunade, whose silhouette was visible in the door. "What do you want to eat? My treat." He offered, now finding himself with an itching want of a response. However, the reaction he got almost made him fall over.

Sakura bolted from her relaxed position to stare at him with wide eyes. "I won't go out!" This declared, she quieted again, like a jumped spring coming back to its box. "I…don't want to hear them talking."

"Who?" He pressed defensively.

"…Everyone. Whenever I go out people talk about me. Saying 'there she goes, the girl whose own team deserted her. She can't be any fun. She's no good. The Hokage pities her so much."

Kakashi had to search his mind a little while in order to find a suitable reply. He should have known this would happen. A Gennin without a team was an easy and delectable target for people who had nothing better to do than make others miserable.

Carefully, he carried her out into the lighted hallway.

The cherry haired girl winced against the illumination—now practically a stranger—and buried her head in his shirt.

"Well, we'll have to prove them wrong won't we?" He gave her head another pet before focusing on the task of getting her to Tsunade's room to be cleaned up and checked over.

"Poor thing. Look at this hair." The older mentor gave the pink head a loving stoke as well. "Lets have a bath. You can't go on a date like this."

Sakura didn't look up from Kakashi's black hideaway, but nodded and tried to stand on her own.

:o:o:o:o:

Night fell, and Tsunade was still trying to sort out Sakura's tangled heart.

Outside the rain was using itself up, pattering curiously against the windows as though wanting to see the girl it had missed.

They sat together on the lush bed—which Tsunade preferred over a futon—the young girl in front of her teacher while the woman brushed her freshly washed and trimmed hair. Apologies had already been said and tears had been shed. As teacher and student, mother and daughter they were reconciled.

A faint smile had finally worked its way onto the young girl's healing lips.

"You know…" The Hokage stared. "…as a ninja you're obliged not to pick fights with those weaker than yourself. But between you and me, I don't care if you have to chew a few ears out to stick up for yourself…Or you could do it my way and just cut off their ears." "Tsunade!" Sakura gasped in surprise as she turned around, intent on gapping at the woman for such a suggestion, only to find her laughing already.

"…"

:o:o:o:o

Her legs were already weak from days of unconscious fasting, so as the almost oddly uneven pair walked through the Hidden Leaf's shopping district Sakura had to hold tight to her Sensei's arm, trusting his strength to carry most of her weight.

"Where do you want to eat?" He asked, hoping to take her thoughts from her own insecurities and the prying eyes around them. Although it was an innocent date from both partakers' points of views there were several suspicious looks, disapproving looks, displeased looks, and even envious looks heading their way.

"Ramen." She answered in an uncharacteristically timid way.

Internally Kakashi gave a sigh of relief that she'd chosen something so inexpensive. "Ramen it is then."

There was a small silence once she'd answered and nearly nothing to fill it with, so once again Sakura became aware of the prying eyes fixed on her. Wanting to be far away from the jealous glares of Kakashi's many admirers she held tighter to his arm, as if being closer to him would somehow hide her from her problems.

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask with a small fit of male triumph. He was well aware that this date would peeve the women who sought after him, but hadn't thought Sakura would pick up on the fact. The blush on her cheeks was amusingly adorable, and he couldn't help petting her small hand reassuringly.

Iruka ramen had always been a welcoming place. The glow of the smooth wood of the bar table at night drew hungry customers in as the already eating customers would draw the steaming noodles to their lips.

Sakura slurped a spoonful of the broth into her famished mouth experimentally and then nearly melted with delight.

Kakashi watched with amusement as the curvy spoon hovered over her lips and her eyes and other senses were closed so she could better savor the taste. He held back whatever mockery he might have subjected her to so he could watch that face just a little longer, though it was more of a spontaneous decision than anything.

"Hungry?" He asked teasingly when the savoring moment was abandoned and she broke vigorously into the noodles.

"Ihfnft ifben if bivegays!" The pink haired ninja explained sloppily, too hungry to be embarrassed by her lack of manners.

"Why?"

Sakura slowed down her shovel to give him a guilty looking side glance. She took the time to chew, then swallow, then pause before answering. "I ran out of food."

He should not make fun of her.

"Why didn't you go buy more?"

He really shouldn't make fun of her.

"I didn't want to leave that room. Not until Naruto, or Sasuke came back."

Now he couldn't make fun of her.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, wondering if she realized how long of a wait that would be.

"I-I know it sounds ridiculous! I know that…but…I just didn't want to hear those people anymore. So, little by little, I stopped leaving Tsunade's study. Getting home late, leaving home early, accidentally spending the night. Because I didn't want to hear I shut myself up, slowly forgetting to go home. Waking up and wondering how many hours it'd been since I'd seen anyone became a routine. Somehow, hours became days, and I stopped going home completely. I stopped counting how long it had been, and then I just…stopped."

"Stopped?"

"Everything." She nodded as her green eyes shifted up to his for just that confirming moment. "I didn't do _anything_. It was like being stuck a genjustsu, but not caring to do anything about saving yourself."

Sakura took another small pause, then looked up at him with a warm smile. "Then I saw you sensei."

Under the brightness of that courageous smile, the silver haired ninja found himself wondering how Sasuke could have possibly left it behind.

:o:o:o:o

It wasn't long before the color returned to her cheeks, the strength to her limbs, and the regular smile to her lips. Ino, once informed of the circumstances, made a fast effort to reunite her friend with the joys of shopping and what she called 'fun on the town.' Frequently she would come, dragging her abused teammates in tow, only to whisk them all off for some fun adventure. The rest of her fellow students also made small, regular efforts—except Lee, who made _huge_ efforts—and Kakashi soon found himself unneeded. Tsunade started sending him on missions again, allowing him more time away from the fast healing Sakura as the weeks went on.

Eventually their time together as a fractured team became practically nonexistent, and their next real meeting would not be for another year and a half.

"Kakashi Sensei!" An older Naruto and Sakura cried as the unexpected guest popped in on them.

Looking at her, grown into a girl of nearly sixteen, Kakashi found a strange sort of bubbly feeling creeping into his hardened system. She was so much more…more…beautiful. Not just pretty but beautiful! Her hair was the same, he was glad, but what was this relief? What was this foreign churning?

For the first time in a long time Kakashi was glad of his mask, not for its stealthy enhancement, its sleek look, or its effectiveness at concealing his identity, but because it hid an unwanted blush.

To be continued…


	2. Letters can Ruin us

A thin, pale, delicate hand, which once held so much control and power behind it, could only hold loosely to a blue folded shirt that refused to go into its drawer. On the bed beside her was a note, read many times as she tried to understand it.

No, the words weren't too hard. She was one of Konoha's finest medical nins, of course the words weren't too hard. The penmanship was perfectly legible, the grammar nearly flawless, the paper undamaged. No, it wasn't the physical state of the note or an error in its presentation that made it difficult to understand but the content within the words.

An eighteen, nearly nineteen, year old Sakura gave that despicable letter a small glance before turning her downcast eyes back to the unfinished laundry. She tried her best to focus only on the millions of threads held between her fingers, but her merciless thoughts never failed to wander back to the depressing note:

_Sakura, today Naruto, Hinata and I leave for the Wind Country to complete a one-year information gathering mission in some of the more troubled regions. Tsunade wanted you to come with us, but a four-man cell would have seemed suspicious for ninja of our level and for such a mild assignment._

_This mission, after all, is mostly just a cover up, since Tsunade wanted to give Naruto and Hinata time together without interference from her family. Sending them as a two man team was out of the question for obvious reasons, mainly because it would have raised even further suspicion on the part of her prying father. Needing a third person, Naruto asked for me, and since everyone else was busy I did not object. _

_Please feel free to continue living in the house during my absence; I hope to return soon, especially if there is nothing interesting to do or no training to benefit from by staying in the Wind Country. _

_Sasuke._

With almost two years behind them since she and Naruto had successfully returned their teammate to Konoha this was how it turned out. He was gone again, and she was left with nothing but his big empty house and the shirt in her hands.

Letting out a sigh that seemed too large for her small body, Sakura drew the nightgown from her head and slipped on his shirt instead.

As she stood up the shirt lifted slightly higher, though because he was a good foot taller than her—and still growing—the hemmed edges still came to the middle of her thighs. Effectively it was a dress: a big, blue dress that did nothing for her curves and smelled much too deeply of Sasuke. Even after a wash.

"Guess there's no one to make breakfast for today." She mused while walked back over to the full basket and empty drawers, determined now to finish putting away the rest of it.

:o:o:o:o:o

A tired and slightly bruised Kakashi retuned to Konoha just in time to greet Naruto and his group before their departure. As always the boys were rowdy competitors, though Sasuke didn't seem very enthusiastic about leaving. He knew there were better chances of getting more exciting missions if he stayed.

That was a few minutes behind him, and now Kakashi walked the lonely morning streets back to his home. While he was walking his thoughts came pouring in—as thoughts tend to do when all a ninja has to do is put one foot in front of the other and let his muscles go—and those thoughts were directed at the one member of this team he hadn't seen that morning.

Browsing down the quiet, dew sparkling streets, those rolling thoughts wandered back to four years ago. He remembered very well the last time Sakura was left alone without her boys. Was she stronger now--mentally? Did she even know they were gone? Had either of those forgetful persons bothered to tell her?

His first stop would be the nikuman counter to pick up some nourishment, since pork buns were his favorite, then on to his humble abode.

While he munched on the steamy breakfast bread, however, another Sakura-based thought occurred to him. What was the harm in stopping to see her before going home? He knew she'd been living in Sasuke's house for nearly a year, and that that particular house was a convenient stop on the way to his own house. Yes, it was decided. A quick visit to his most studious student would be an excellent way to end a_ very_ long day.

'Hm…Sasuke's house huh?' Kakashi mused as his eyes skimmed the lines of a particularly provocative IchaIcha Paradise page, the novel he'd just opened to enhance his enjoyment of the short walk. The contents of which had spurred a third Sakura-based thought. Whatever Sakura's living there meant to the Uchiha, Kakashi didn't care to know. Reminiscing, he remembered when he first discovered it he'd been a bit surprise and wary, but Sakura didn't seem unhappy—in fact, she seemed happier than ever—so he'd let it go. Only reminding Sasuke once of the dangerous consequences of _shady_ actions. Now he wondered if he should have rethought taking that stance on the situation. It was only a higher place from her hopes to fall.

Standing before the two-story house, Kakashi pondered on how one person could possibly live in it alone. If he had so much space he knew he'd go insane.

Putting that idea aside, he stepped up to the doormat and gave the bell a ring.

"It's open!" Came a honey drop voice from the kitchen; a voice she'd grown into.

"Good morning." He greeted her casually, stepping through the door into the receptive room. 'Eh…' The first thing the silver haired ninja noticed was the 'turned upside down' look the house seemed to have. Surely, between the two of them, they'd been able to keep it cleaner than this? Further inspection showed him that it was actually just a 'mess because I'm cleaning something else' kind of disorder.

Surely enough, a dust speckled and slightly sweaty Sakura came tromping down the stairs towards him with a welcoming smile, glad for the company. "Good morning sensei! Need something?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Just stopping by."

"Did you have any breakfast yet?" She asked as she moved a heavy box off to the side in hopes of making a better path between the kitchen and the first living room.

"Well y-" He raised an eyebrow slightly in a scheming thought, wondering if he'd get free food if he said no. "I had a bun but I'm still starving."

Her smile brightened. "Good! I was just thinking, there's no one to cook for today." Turning, she reached under the stove for a large, rectangular frying pan. "How about eggs? I've gotten pretty good at them ya know."

Kakashi, his uncovered eye fixed on the girl, nearly a woman, pushed aside more out-of-place items to enter the sparkling white kitchen. "Sounds delicious."

"How do you like your omelet?" The egg carton was drawn from the refrigerator carefully along with the milk and a bottle of teriyaki. "With salt or sugar? Sasuke likes it…Sasuke likes it with salt…" The frying pan lowered slightly, slowly traveling towards her side. She suddenly seemed to remember herself, and Sakura raised the skillet up again, setting it carefully on the burner. "Ne, Kakashi Sensei." She did not turn to him. "You should wash up before breakfast. You stink."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow again and tried to smirk, though catching the hurt behind the teasing tone made it difficult.

"Yup. There's a shower upstairs, and plenty of soap. So go ahead." From the side he could see her face turned up in a forced smile and, sighing inwardly, decided to grant her wish.

He tripped his way towards the stairs, then began to climb them as slowly as possible—one, to favor his bruised leg, and two to give her time to break while he was still there. Halfway up he paused and called down. "A-Sakura! Sweet with green onions."

She laughed, and for a moment he was relieved as he heard the sincerity behind it. "That sounds awful Sensei!"

"Don't rule it out until you've tried it." He warned from the top of the stairs, his voice coming back to her muffled from the wall and distance.

Actually, he had no idea whether or not that combination would taste edible. It was just something he'd hoped would make her laugh. 'And it did.' He noted.

Once on the second floor Kakashi turned his attention to the hallway, there were two rooms, only one had a shower. On a whim he picked the first one, and to the left…a shower!

If he wasn't suspicious that Sakura might hear the silver haired instructor would have allowed himself at least one moan of content as the hot water came and soothed his muscles.

'That was almost a mission for two people.' He contemplated as he watched the water roll off his body, slither away down towards the drain in little streams, and drip rhythmically from his hair—though of course he would never admit it to anyone else. After all, he'd come away with barely a scratch, who was he to complain.

Watching the water, his mind wandered in a different direction. He began to wonder whether or not Sakura knew she was wearing something that only covered half her thighs.

Kakashi knew it was wrong to think of his student that way, but he'd given up scolding himself for it. In her teen years she'd become more and more like Tsunade. Stronger, more able, and less worried about concealing…things. After all, if she felt like expressing herself and exposing her body who was he to deny her the pleasure of being seen?

The copy cat ninja was one-hundred percent sure he would never get the image out of his mind of Sakura and the Hokage walking into Naruto's seventeenth birthday party, both wearing similar low cut dresses—though Sakura's was a bit less extreme.

His revealed eye focused on her, and he was reminded of the intruding bubbles who invited themselves into his system the first time he'd seen her at sixteen. For the rest of the night he was drawn to her, even without the 'larger' Tsunade present, which sent a warning flag up. The little warning flag was one of many and all were ignored.

He'd even gotten her to dance with him once, though made it a silly thing to keep any awkwardness away. Luckily, her gaze was lovingly focused on the Uchiha in the corner who'd been trying his best to ignore everything. But Kakashi found himself unable to look away, and when the party was over this attraction frightened him away from her and Konoha for a good month. His excuse to Tsunade was that he wanted to do some training on his own.

Each day he substituted delirious thoughts of her for the pain and strain of vigorous training, and by the time the month was done he'd been able to greet her normally at the large gates of Konoha once again.

Suddenly he seemed to return to reality, and not knowing how much time he'd spent out of mind he quickly killed the water, not wanting to waste any more of it.

Downstairs, Sakura stood quietly before the cold stove, fighting off the urge to cry. She heard the shower come on, and knew it was alright. The pink haired ninja drew her arm across her eyes, skillet and all, and stood with just the sides of her kitchen's marble top supporting her. A small, trembling inhale was the only noise she made.

Why did it always turn out like this? Her being the only one left behind.

She let out a cleansing huff, then turned on the burner and set the rectangular utensil down. No, she wasn't the only one. Kakashi was here too.

A sudden, maidenly blush took hold of her face as she realized that, not only was he in her house, he was probably _naked_ in her house.

_Absolutely not!_ came the stern voice of reason. No matter how lonely she got there was no excuse for thinking about her teacher that way. It was just…irresponsible. 'Besides.' her insecurities nagged. 'He can have almost any woman he wants.'

And so both ninjas resolved not to think of each other.

:o:o:o:o:

Sakura and Kakashi stared at the eggs, both a little apprehensively, and although Kakashi knew he had to be the first one to try them—since they were his idea—he was a bit worried. Bravely, he stretched out his hashi(.) grabbed a slice of the folded omelet, and drew it hastily into his mouth.

His visible eyebrow rose up as he chewed, and when he realized that it actually had a wonderful taste he slowed down to inspect it more thoroughly. "This is good."

"Don't sound so surprised." She scolded him, half in anger half in pout.

"Sorry, sorry. It's to be expected from Sakura. You always did make good bento."

The pink haired ninja grabbed a bite herself as he pulled three more onto his own plate before smiling at him mischievously. "No, you're wrong. Those were terrible lunchboxes. You all just took pity on me." She laughed. "I can't believe you actually ate them."

"On the contrary—" He protested, hashi upright like a baton he would use to guide the conversation. "—your onigiri were always quite edible."

Sakura's face softened and before she went to nibbling at her egg she said. "I'm glad."

Now it was her turn to be surprised. "Wow. This taste isn't half bad."

"Told you."

There was a small moment of comfortable, chewing filled silence before Kakashi took another pause and added "Do you cook often now?"

"Yup." She answered through a small mouthful. "Everyday unless Naruto drags us out for ramen."

Sakura's eyes became a bit downcast as she tilted her head to stare into her lap. "It'll be a little lonely, just cooking for me now."

Kakashi watched her silently, tracing the sad lines of her beautiful green eyes, the pearl completion of her face, the gentle pink hair that fell along her swanlike neck. As he thought of what to say he resumed his eating, not noticing how Sakura started squirming as she wondered if she'd said too much.

"Thanks for the meal." He lay his hashi down when his share of the eggs was consumed, drained the last of his tea, then rose to leave. Before Sakura had a chance to say anything or protest his departure he added "Mind if I come for dinner?"

The young Chuunin blinked up at her Sensei, as if in a small shock, but then quickly responded with an enthusiastic and happy "Please!"

:o:o:o:o:o

Later that night, a well rested Kakashi, who'd spent the rest of the day sleeping, came walking up slowly to the Uchiha house. On the way he'd stopped and contemplated whether or not to bring her something. It was good manners, after all. Though on the other hand it could be seen as a present, the kind of present a guy gives a girl before they go out on a date. This discovered, Kakashi quickly threw the notion away and hurried towards the house.

Now he was here, knowing he had to go in, wanting very much to go in, but also dreading what might happen if he went in. But he had promised, and the promise had made her happy. The punishment for not coming to this dinner was probably equivalent to the punishment for kicking a puppy.

So the silver haired ninja braved forward, unsure what to expect.

However, when he did enter he found no Sakura in the kitchen. "Hm?" The door was unlocked, she couldn't be out. No, he definitely felt her inside the house. "Sakura?" No reply.

Into the living room he looked, but no Sakura. 'She's upstairs then.' If she was upstairs she was probably still getting dressed or showered, and he did not want to torture his mind further by walking in on either of those.

And so Kakashi waited. After a minute or so he took a seat and continued to wait, and when almost ten minutes had gone by he could wait no longer. "Sakura?" He tried calling her again, this time with his voice projecting from the bottom of the stairs.

Still no answer came back to him.

A little worried, Kakashi started up the wooden staircase. With a small bit of hesitation he entered the right-hand room, whose door was open, like an invitation.

Inside the lights were dead, but he still saw the figure on the bed because of the light projected from the bathroom.

Sakura was half dressed; just a skirt and camisole on, the finishing sweater lay on the floor. Her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping, but clenched tightly in her still trembling hands were bits of torn paper.

Kakashi approached her warily, wondering if she had any sort of weapon she could spring out at him if he surprised her too quickly.

"Sakura?" This time he called her with his face near hers as he was knelt beside the bed.

Her green eyes seemed to flutter open, and the first thing she saw, again, was him. "Sensei…"

Those green orbs searched the surroundings until she realized what had happened. She turned on him with an almost painfully apologetic smile. "Sorry. Looks like I slept through dinner."

Worry bugs began eating at his insides. "There's still plenty of time." He quickly protested, trying to convince her that she wasn't subject to any great fault.

Sakura stared into his uncovered eye, so large and black, and realized his concern for her. Her hands let go of the letter, destroyed by her anger, and all the shredded pieces sunk lazily onto the blankets. She resolved herself not to make him worry. "That's right."

She would smile for him, trying her hardest "There's still plenty of time." because she refused to be a burden.

He offered his hand and the young ninja took it gently, borrowing his strength to sit up. "Ne, Sensei. How do you feel about pork cutlet?"

"I love it." He answered from the doorway.

"More than omelets?"

"Much."

"More than tea?"

"Maybe."

"More than IchaIcha?"

"…Definitely not."

:o:o:o:o

Neji stared down at the letter Hinata left him to deliver. "Wait a day, then give it to her." was his kind cousin's request. He sighed before groaning as quietly as he could at the stiff muscles in his neck. But that's what happens when you end up sleeping at the Dojo.

A small, muffled noise at his right reminded the Hyuugan boy _why_ exactly, he'd spent the night on hard wooden floors.

Across his lips spread a rare smile and Neji reached over to move one of Tenten's hair ribbons from her cheek. He envied his cousin the privilege of being away from the bondage of the Hyuugan clan and its string rules—though he knew that her situation was more desperate. Neji was well aware of that for him to be seeing Tenten was only frowned upon, but for Hinata, seeing Naruto was downright forbidden.

Tucking the letter in his obi and placing a parting kiss on the weapons queen's lips Neji headed out for the early morning delivery.

When he arrived at the Uchiha address Neji was a bit surprised to see the insides of the house strewn about and stacked up on higher places to allow as much floor to show as possible. "Cleaning?" He asked in a neighborly but indifferent way.

"Yup!" Came the cheery response from the jostled looking girl in the doorway.

Now they had nothing else to say, and moment of awkwardness passed between them before Neji remembered and handed over the letter. "It's from Hinata."

"Oh! Thanks." The pink haired ninja nearly jumped for the parchment, hungrily wanting news from her friend, and knowing that anything from Hinata might have something about with Sasuke.

Figuring that his job as 'mailman' was over, the young Hyuugan man turned and headed for the uncomfortable but welcoming dojo. With any luck he'd be back before Tenten woke up.

Sakura, forgetting her happy mood, turned now to the suspicious letter. What could be inside? Apologies? Reasoning? Simple hellos? Or maybe…bad news?

They _had_already been out for more than a day. Anything could happen in a day.

Neji hadn't said when he'd received the postage. Come to think of it, he didn't say much at all. And he looked tired, or did he look sad? No! There was no sense in jumping to conclusions before she'd even opened the damn letter.

Ripping away the envelope, Sakura dove into the written words. Her green eyes scanned desperately at the words inside, then sluggishly. Once she grasped their meanings she laughed shortly into the empty house.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:

"M…"Came an unwilling moan from beneath the thick rolls of a green sleeping bag.

"Naruto." called the soft morning time wake up.

"Five more minunummms…" The mumbled speech moved into a thick yawn, making the Hyuugan princess giggle.

"Breakfast." She tempted, trying her best to get Naruto up before Sasuke left without them—not that he was in any great hurry.

Hinata was pondering over a much more diabolical tactic when she felt playful arms around her waist pulling her down among the warm covers.

Across the small camp Sasuke rolled his eyes at the laughter, the sounds of early morning child games, and the inevitable collapse of the poorly pitched tent. How in the name of all that was good and ninja did he get dragged into this?

:o:o:o:o

Miles away in Konoha another sharingan user was waking. Shrinking away from the sun coming through his drapes as though it were an attacker, Kakashi did his best to stay asleep. On this particular morning he dreaded the thought of leaving his bed. After all, he'd been having a toe curling ream about an unrealistically attractive woman who was _not_ a student of his and was _not_ pining away over a man who'd probably never return her feelings, but instead doing her very best to please the dream Kakashi. After all, if he got out of bed, or woke up even the tiniest bit more, and he might never get that dream back. Without that dream he had to face reality; the reality that who he really wanted to be chasing after in his dreams was his very own pink haired, green eyed, underage Sakura.

The night before at dinner she'd been close to a torture to him. Beautiful, kind, humorous, but feisty and fierce all the same.

Kakashi groaned heavily. There really was no hope for him now that he'd woken up his mind with all this thinking. All that was left to do was to get up, get dressed, and go find breakfast.

The up and the dressed were easy, but breakfast was another matter. Was the bakery open? Or maybe the Nikuman shop again? Perhaps the gohei(..) fryer was already lighting the coals and painting the sweet miso sauce on the little rice delicacies?

The silver haired ninja welcomed the worries of food. At least they did not revolve around Sakura, who'd been on his mind a bit too much already.

Through the streets he searched, watching casually as the store keepers opened their business. Dew still clung to ever exposed structures in the city, and in the warming rays the droplets turned the Hidden Leaf into a golden glimmer. He smelled the smells of vocation, preparation, and haste. Kakashi also caught of a whiff of grilling gohei.

'A—breakfast.' He thought happily.

:o:o:o:

With two of the golden delicacies in his mouth and another two in hand, Kakashi ate and let his feet lead him. Not a very wise decision, he realized, as he opened his eye and found himself watching a struggling Sakura finding _herself_ being just a few inches too short.

On the slanted balcony she stood, one hand clasped tightly to the water pipe and one helplessly reaching for a pillow case, blown out onto the close line by a cruel gust of wind. Shamelessly he watched her lack of gracefulness and the back of her legs—exposed again because she'd gone back to wearing Sasuke's shirt over her pajama shorts.

An unavoidable, teasing smile took over his expression as Kakashi watched the age old struggler between woman and laundry. Soon, he predicted, she would loose her grip or footing, and eventually both, leaving her no choice but to tap into ninja reflexes to save her neck.

His prediction about her grip came true almost as quickly as he thought it would, and the frantic stumble followed suit of course, but unlike Kakashi assumed Sakura did not 'tap into her ninja reflexes.' He waited, thinking, she must be challenging herself. But two stories wasn't a pretty place to fall from, and she was cutting it close. His exposed eye scrounged up with worry 'surely she isn't--' but before he could finish the thought her small body hit the paved walkway with a heart stopping klashhhump.

Time slowed down, and the silver haired sensei watched her limbs tangle as each appendage hit the ground at a different time; the pink head bounce up after the initial contact, her torso twist on the tiny rebound before settling back down.

:o:o:o:o:

The bitter tang of hospital smell was all around him. It wasn't unfamiliar, after all, he'd been checked into this same facility too many times to count, but it was a bit intolerable. All those chemicals and preservatives sunk strait into your cloths and into your hair, and the longer you stayed in them the more time it took to get it out of your life. It was like someone had spilled a bottle and forgotten to clean it up, or maybe lots of people spilled lots of bottles and nobody bothered. Maybe it was something they did on purpose, not wanting to smell the scent of death that also accompanied hospitals. The maternity ward didn't smell like this. It smelled like life, like new chances and beginnings. Nobody spilled preservatives in the maternity ward anymore because there was hardly ever any death to cover up.

Had Kakashi been on the maternity floor he wouldn't have appeared any different from those expecting fathers and families. Hunched with nervous waiting, glaring at the floor with anxious eyes.

When Tsunade joined the scene as the emergency team examined the unconscious Sakura she'd quickly kicked him out of the room. Now he sat on a bench outside the examining room. Inside he could hear shuffling and loud, stern orders from Tsunade though none of it could reassure him or clue him in on what was happening. Feeling more than particularly useless, Kakashi sat outside with his head in his hands, too much in turmoil to try and distract himself with some IchaIcha passages.

A few minutes passed and all the noise stopped. Not sure if this was a good or bad sign, Kakashi stood up to investigate, and was soon found himself nose to nose with Tsunade. "Erp!" He jumped back almost immediately, then, with his composure found, he asked "How is she?"

"A little wired up. We put her on pain killers."

Kakashi's face seemed to hang.

"Is it serious?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a look that couldn't have been more scrutinizing if he'd asked what color the sky was today. "It was just a few fractured bones. Nothing we couldn't heal."

The masked visage melted into one of disbelief. "But you kicked me out!"

"Because we had to take some X-rays of her ribs and examine her organs. She wouldn't want her teacher seeing her shirtless."

Blood came running up to his nose and threatened to spill out as his oh so helpful mind provided the missing image. "R-right…Thanks."

His feet shuffled on the floor as he tried to regain his coolness and stop the blood rushing thoughts.

"You can see her if you want." Tsunade couldn't help feeling a bit like she was telling a child it was alright to go out and play.

Kakashi straitened up, and holding his head high gave the older woman a nod of thanks before entering the previously off limits hospital room.

He kept his pace slow and steady, trying not to appear too eager. Cautiously the Jounin approached the bed with its white sheets and pale, pink girl. When they saw him enter the assistants and nurses left hastily. Ignoring their presence and departure he turned curious eyes upon Sakura's frail form. He studied her body for a moment; noticed the bandages on her arm and ankle, the bruising on her left cheek, the bandage on her temple, and the slight part in her dried lips. Noontime light came streaming through the windows but did not reach her bed against the wall, keeping her covered in a cool shadow and giving her a calm appearance despite the damage. All in all she didn't look too bad. 'Could have been worse.' Kakashi found himself thinking thankfully.

Pulling a visitor's chair close beside the bed and taking a vigilant seat on it, Kakashi resumed his staring. His legs spread out with the back of the chair between each thigh and his arms folded over the top for maximum comfort and casualness. Once situated, the single exposed eye turned to the fading pink lips and a sort of bubbling sympathy arose in his deepest gut. It was a great temptation to extent his hand and touch the poor lips, though he didn't—knew very well that he shouldn't. When she stirred, turned her head towards him, and opened her hazy eyes he felt very grateful that he hadn't given in to the suggestion of his hand.

She chuckled as her green eyes traced over the strange, silver haired thing that sat still and stared at her. "Hello."

"Yo." He waved two fingers at her, increasing the laughter that came bubbling from her throat.

Slowly the giggling came to a drifting silence, and when it was all gone she sighed out a last bit of extra energy before a content smile came to playing on her expression like the finishing notes of a symphony.

Now that his former student was calm again Kakashi remembered his anger and frustration over her actions. "Sakura." He said, so sternly and so forcefully that she looked up at him with an underline of fear. "Why did you do nothing to prevent this?"

The pink haired ninja blinked up at him, not answering and perhaps not even comprehending. Getting no answer, Kakashi tried again a bit more slowly and loudly:

"You're a full fledged ninja, that kind of fall is nothing! You could have saved yourself easily." He sounded angry, very angry, but it was more of an inward anger. Perhaps the real villain here was him. Maybe she'd felt him behind her and decided to play a game. Maybe she'd wanted him to catch her. He could have done it too. He could have caught her just as easily as she could have flipped over and landed on her feet.

Kakashi's hands clenched tightly and he bend his head forward so that his face was completely hidden from her behind his arms and the shadow cast by his pitied position. This act of desperation seemed to warrant a response, because soon after he'd hung his head in defeat a small hand came to rest on his arm. He looked up and that hand squeezed.

"Sensei." Came the dried out voice of the nearly grown girl. "Take me home." Followed the watery plea.

The beg in her voice was something he could not deny. Against a small nagging of better judgment from the very bag of his mind Kakashi rose, pushed the chair aside with his foot, and scooped up the crippled girl into his arms. Before any of the staff knew it the duo had disappeared through the window into the afternoon.

Knowing that their escape would be much more discrete if he kept to the rooftops, Kakashi traveled swiftly, high above the busy streets with their hot walkers, runners, sellers, and buyers.

Sakura was quiet and didn't fidget. Her able arm hung snuggly over his shoulder, the limp fist swinging back and forth to tap on his back with each new burst forward off a ledge or roof. Her hospital gown, more of a thin white dress, blew wonderfully in the breeze and with their movement and it made Kakashi yearn to see her dancing in it.

When they came to Sasuke's house, however, that casual arm became tight around his neck, and while he dutifully slipped his hands out from under her as he lay her on her own bed she refused to let him go.

Confused, Kakashi tried searching her expression for answers, though all he found were sleepy eyes and an effortlessly neutral mouth. Experimentally, he brought a hand over her face to draw away a stray piece of cherry hair; still nothing. Lucky for Kakashi though, he was good at guessing and good at knowing what a woman wants. On his second try he got her clinging arm to release his neck.

"Would you like me to stay?" He'd asked, quickly being rewarded with his freedom and with the blossoming of a content smile across her visage.

When that was settled his empty stomach cut whatever happy moment they might have had with a loud, sharp growl, causing Sakura's painkillers to kick in once again.

Ignoring the rolling laughter, Kakashi turned towards the downstairs and the hopefully well stalked kitchen.

:o:o:o:o:

As dusk neared over the horizon the silver haired ninja returned to the room of the deeply sleeping girl. He'd stayed downstairs, indulging himself in IchaIcha and some very neglected paperwork he'd sent a clone to go fetch around two. On this, his third trip upstairs, he expected to find Sakura in much the same condition he'd discovered her the other two times: asleep. His hopes, however, were dismissed when he saw he sitting up, both hands grasping a letter. A scene a bit too familiar for his liking.

"What you asked me earlier—" She started before he could say anything about how she should be resting. "—I'm sorry, for causing all this trouble. I didn't fall because I wanted to. Honest." The parchment received a small caress from her thumb. "I just wasn't thinking," Her face became delicate with remembering as she turned to him. "Getting this letter from Hinata got me thinking: what if I never seem them again? And if so, then the last letter Sasuke left me I'd torn to shreds because I was angry with him. Or how the last thing I said to Naruto was a scolding for eating almost nothing but ramen." Her lip became to quiver pitifully as he spoke, drawing Kakashi nearer to her as if by a force of gravity. "When they're gone, all I want to do is say how I love them, but when they're hear I can't do it…Why?"

Kakashi saw the tears building in her eyes, heard the sound of the letter being crumbled by her trembling hands, and knew that this time he could save her before she fell into the darkness. "They know" He reassured as he saved Hinata's letter, knelt down before her it was easy to pry it from her fingers. "They know."

Before he had time to realize her actions Kakashi found himself acting as Sakura's comforting squeeze. Her arms wrapped around his head, her whimpers became chocked in his hair, and his face came closer to her chest than the ninja thought he could bear.

Something about this seemed all too familiar, he though as he coaxed the eighteen year old Sakura from his head to lay her softly down in her bed. Sakura sniffled, then opened a blurry eye to star up at her sensei. She acted with the hope that he wouldn't leave her alone that night. After whipping away the unwanted tears with the palms of her hands, the pink haired ninja placed herself on the far edge of the large bed, then, bravely, confidently, and hopefully, reached out to tug at a loose poof of his undershirt.

Kakashi blinked his surprise at her, unsure of what she wanted, unsure of what he wanted, and slightly overwhelmed by all the dirty thoughts that had suddenly fled to his mind.

'What did she want? Surely not for him to stay the night? Surely not in the same bed?'

to be continued. Bwaha….

(.) I'm using "hashi" because I don't like the word "chopsticks"

(..) Gohei is a delicious little snack, it's pounded rice on a stick either in balls like tea dango or in a big flat thing like fudge-sickle.


	3. Delusions of you

Hello my lovelies! School is almost over, and when it is you can expect much longer, faster, chapters. Until then…help me out! I can write but only with reviews serving as my muses! So far I only have two…I'm starving here…See? That pile of bones in the corner? That's me…starving…for lurv….

Oh, if you have some spare time, I suggest checking out freerice. com improve your vocabulary and the world at the same time! For every word you define correctly, 20 grains of rice gets donated to starving countries around the world.

:o:o:o:o:o

Her hand stretched out for him, and in reaching out it found the warm, soft cloth of Kakashi's shirt. The shock, confusion, and turmoil in his expression didn't faze Sakura's want. Even if he was unwilling to do it for her she could always call Ino.

Kakashi on the other hand, felt anything but confident. Rather, he felt trapped. Before him lay a beautiful, needy girl. A beautiful, needy girl who happened to be reached out for _him_, but what could he do? What should he do? Grab it? Should he take that wanting hand in his? Or should he leave her alone, excusing the sudden neediness on her injury and its effect on her horomones? Maybe he was blowing the whole thing out of proportion! For all_ he_ knew, the world would start to revolve again in a few milliseconds and she would simply ask him for a glass of water.

'Or…' Kakashi groaned inwardly as his pent up fantasies took hold of his thought process.

He would take her hand, and be rewarded by her happy, sexy smile before being sharply pulled down into the warm sheets.

"Sensei?" That taunting honey voice interrupted.

"Hm-- Yes?" He stumbled slightly over his own tongue as he forced his eyes upon her, all the while busy fighting off his inner perversions.

"Sensei…" Her shoulders moved like waves as she adjusted her line of vision to better focus on his face. The unintentional pout of her lips almost had the Copy Ninja gulping with nervousness. In a gentleman's attempt not to watch her cleavage—which, by the way, had popped up out of no where just to taunt him—Kakashi turned his uncovered eye to her ankles and feet.

"Would you-"

Though they were moving so gracefully that it had nearly the same effect on him; dancing back and forth above the deep blue material, creating little creases and landscapes.

"—mind staying with me?"

Thin, delicate ankles, and beautiful feet with carefully painted pink nails. Just watch them, only them.

"I just don't want to be alone."

Don't follow the hill of her muscle up the slim leg, for the love of god don't do it. No, anything but her knee. It's for your own good!

"I can even set up the cot if you're uncomfortable sleeping here." "Huh?"

Sakura smiled at him sweetly with just a hint of mischief as she discovered his dazed frame of mind. "What's wrong Sensei?"

Realizing his vital blunder Kakashi quickly straightened his slouched posture, exchanging it for one more dignified and sturdy as he coughed into his fist. "Nothing. Merely thinking." And like a saving grace he remembered: "Sakura…" He started slowly, taking on that scolding tone he often took with her when she was young and he her only teacher. "…have you eaten anything today?"

Sakura blinked at the sudden change in subject. "Well, no, I guess not."

"You should."

Sitting up, she offered the back of her bandaged right wrist into the air. "I can't cook like this."

"Well, no…but I have two perfectly good ones." As if to emphasize his point Kakashi drew them out before him and took a small moment to admire his uninjured wrists.

Sakura winced visibly and withdrew a bit into the pillows.

The silver haired ninja seemed to take small offence at her disbelief in his culinary abilities because he glanced down at her with a look that was half scold and half disappointment. "Now, now. How do you suppose I've survived all these years as a single man?"

"Vending machines?" She asked, peaking out just slightly from her pillow.

"I'm a very good cook."

"I think I'll tough it out." She turned as if to dive under the covers and escape the threat of his kitchen skills—or lack there of—but was stopped by strong hands sweeping her upward and away from the hiding place.

"Ek!" Was her only protest as Sakura found herself being forced towards what could end up being a deadly eating experience.

"You'll see." He reassured in his quiet Kakashi way.

Slightly curious and painfully hungry, Sakura patiently allowed herself to be carried down the stairs and set on the kitchen counter while her captor turned towards the stove. Her feet swung slightly as she watched lazily from the convenient seat which, although it lined her up perfectly with a nice view of Kakashi's shoulders, kept her from witnessing his actions.

She watched him, perplexed by the way he seemed to already know his way around her kitchen.

No...not _her _kitchen. Certainly not _her_ kitchen. This kitchen, this whole house, belonged to Sasuke, and there was a very good chance that it would never truly belong to her.

Something fishy was happening, Sakura knew, because in the moment she'd taken to sulk over the technicality of 'It's not _my_ kitchen…Not really…' Kakashi had already finished boiling something in a large pot and was now adding in some diced vegetables.

'He's fast.' The pink haired ninja though as she watched him cut something else: possibly meat. 'Though that doesn't mean it'll taste any good.' Her nose wrinkled a bit as she remembered the first time she'd tried to teach Naruto to cook. He'd taken one look at the recipe, which clearly dictated a half hours worth of work, and declared he would "finish in half that time!!" Which he did. …Though the final taste was something she would never know because the smell alone had persuaded her to quickly throw it safely away into the forest and let a nice exploding tag do the rest.

Drawing herself away from that distant memory Sakura turned her eyes to observe the kitchen's condition. Kakashi had become well acquainted with all the cupboards and miscellaneous contents of the fridge, so there wasn't any great mess to clean up yet.

He worked around the strange utensils and cooking space as if he'd been cooking in this room his whole life. Watching that easy skill and those effortless movements Sakura found herself lulled in a sleepy trance. Her gaze sat fixed on his fast hands, the slight movement of his wrists and forearms. Those strong, undefeated arms that had carried her down from the darkness into this kitchen.

Sakura's green eyes were proud as she stared at the muscled back of her Sensei, and became glazy when her mind began to wander through the lovely memories of her innocence.

"Sakura?"

Her thoughts broke abruptly as a pair of hashi was waved back and forth before her nose and a bowl of steaming soup came under her chin.

"Hm? Oh." With a clumsy and bandaged right hand she took the eating utensils, then the spoon that was offered next, and prepared for the worst.

Sakura eyed the soup suspiciously, her legs became still, and she focused her full attention on the potentially deadly broth.

Potatoes: perfectly normal, sliced pork: seemed cooked enough, random floating vegetables of doom— "Just try it." He urged in a voice that sounded a bit too much like a tease.

Bravely, she scooped some of the hot liquid into her spoon, then drew it to her mouth.

Green eyes flew up to meet the lone black pigment of Kakashi's. "It's good!"

"Of course."

Leaving her to her soup, Kakashi turned to serve himself a bowl. He could have laughed at her ridiculousness. Her silly mistrust over the simplest things. Still, that was Sakura; practical yet impossible, responsible but dependant upon others, strong and still so fragile. She was the girl who fought with all her guts to bring home the boy she loved only to be left alone once again. She would say "I'm alright, really." then ask her teacher, of all people, to stay the night so she wouldn't have to sleep alone in the big house which had also been left behind.

The small sound of Sakura at the stove drew his eyes to her but didn't break his thoughts of her.

:o:o:o:o:

The clock on the hospital wall ticked away. The small minute hand crept along slowly. Much too slowly for Ino, who stood staring at the timekeeper with impatience and resentment in her tired blue eyes. "What's taking her so long?"

Her foot tapped on the tiles as if the repetitive noise would bring the nurse and consequently Shikamaru's late paperwork.

The boy in question sat calmly on the hospital bed, his eyes closed and trying his best to ignore the numb, bandaged hand and Ino's complains while he played a game of Shogi in his head.

Getting no response once again, Ino turned to him with more mischievous ambitions than before. "It's just paperwork…Can't we go home?"

Without opening his eyes he answered her plea: "It's also paying."

"But—" The blond ninja fell beside Shikamaru on the bed, her right shoulder brushing against his left and her chest aligned with his. "But we're _personal _acquaintances of the Hokage. They won't mind. Just this once…" As she cooed her argument to him she begins to nibble his ear.

Shikamaru could ignore her whining, he could ignore the consequences of her boredom, but nibbling was unfairly effective.

"_Everyone _is a 'personal acquaintance of the Hokage.'" He reminded her, trying to keep his breath steady.

"Shika—" "Would you mind not doing that?"

She stopped everything to pull her head away and stare at him with half-closed eyes that drooped with disappointment and brewing distain. However, before she could respond with greater sarcasm the sluggish nurse returned.

The red haired woman gave the pair a skeptically suspicious look. While Shikamaru signed his name and paid the small hospital fee Ino turned her defiant gaze upon the nurse, as if to say: "I have every right to be sitting here." Which was greeted by an equally forceful "children these days have no sense of propriety."

Her partner, of course, was oblivious to the invisible daggers and chastising stares of the two women.

When the paperwork was all in order Shikamaru handed the limp parchment back to the nurse, stood up, and settled his vest on his shoulders. Then he went to the door and waited lazily for Ino to follow.

:o:

Outside, the calm night air was stirred by a light breeze and the sounds of villagers having fun. Just before they could reach that breeze and freedom a familiar voice stopped them. "Ino!"

The tired blond ninja turned and greeted by Kotetsu Hagane. "Hi."

"Give this to Sakura when you see her, will you? It's from Tsunade" He held out mission scroll with his right hand, ruffling his messy, spiky, hair with his other.

When she looked at it questioningly he merely shrugged.

Ino took the scroll and tucked it into her pack with its depleted medical supplies. "Sure."

Leaving the request at that, the three ninja parted ways. Hagane back to Hokage's office and Shikamaru and Ino out into the nighttime streets.

Around them were other villagers out for a walk, mostly couples, but there were also a few happy families as well as a handful of loners. Though none of their fellow nighttime adventurers were people they recognized.

They were already a few blocks away from the hospital and entering the secluded ninja residences. Now that they were very alone, Ino trust her hand into his. Shikamaru glanced at her briefly, the lonely fingers on his bandaged hand flexed awkwardly. She smiled up at him, her blue eyes glittering with cool seductiveness.

Shikamaru signed inwardly and let her do what she wanted. Or, so was the plan, before he felt her fingertips trace up and down the top of his. She was building a fire in him with expert skill, doing all the things she knew drove him over the top.

"Ino." He said sternly, bringing them to a full stop as he moved to cover her caressing hand with his injured palm. When he touched her so suddenly Ino flinched before settling down as her eyes settled on the bloody hand.

Even the dry Shikamaru could see the guilt in her eyes as she remembered the more graphic details of the mission they'd just returned from.

The three of them were a team, and it had always been Shikamaru's job to watch over Ino while she penetrated the enemy's mind and to hold the victim still.

This time things hadn't gone quite as smoothly as they were suppose to. An undiscovered enemy attacked Ino from the side. Shikamaru was quick to block the first kunai, but the second one, which followed just behind the tail of the first, went strait into his hand. He had no choice, after all, he need at least one hand controlling his shadow jutsu.

"I'm tired. You're exhausted. So don't do this…Not tonight anyway." He gazed down sympathetically at the top of her head, watching her relive the event.

Pain was in her eyes as she timidly touched the hand that could have easily been lost. If not for Konoha's experienced medics the nerves would have been destroyed and he would never have been able to use it the same way or with the same skill. The weight of that knowledge on her chest made her want to fall to her knees crying and beg him to take whatever he wanted from her.

"But I owe you." Ino protested sweetly as she took his hands and moved them closer to her body.

Tired and irritated, Shikamaru lashed out at her, ripping his hands from her grasp and shoved his arms around her waist, pulling her backwards into the darkness between two apartments.

Surprised, Ino stared up at him with wide eyes while he could only give her a look of disappointment and turmoil. "When you owe me something, don't think immediately about paying it back with you body." His arms were tight around her and he held her like a snake holds a furry creature in it's hypnotic glare.

"Kay…" Her lip trembled slightly as she was finally able to set down the mask of allurement and allow the truth of her exhaustion to take over.

Ino tucked her head in the crease of her lover's muscled arm, slipping her own up to clutch at his back behind the green Chuunin vest. She knew he was must have been very tired to come outright and speak what he was thinking instead of merely avoiding her attempts until she gave up. Nevertheless, when she felt a small kiss placed on her forehead Ino shivered with delight and couldn't help herself but pull away and return the love to his lips.

He was surprisingly responsive, and as the kiss deepened she rose to her toes as he pulled her upwards slightly with the grip on her waist. Soon she was off the ground entirely, they had somehow forgotten their battle weary attitudes and had succumb to the needs of two bodies which had not been alone with each other for several days.

Shikamaru was the first to break them from the dizzy haze. "Sakura's mission—" "It can wait." Ino gasped back in reply. This decided, he let her down and they walked as quickly as possible to his flat with only the embrace of their hands keeping them inside the walls of sanity.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

When you wake up in the morning there is something everyone expects to see. Some important thing that is always right there on the table, the wall, the dresser, on the floor, curled up at the foot of the bed, or laying next to you. For Sakura, that precious item had always been Sasuke's back. She would wake up either to his back or to the smell of his coffee. The warm sun would come in through the curtains, pushing and prodding them to get up from the snuggling covers but was always ignored.

This morning, however, she did not wake up to Sasuke's back but Kakashi's. Across the bed, nearly falling off the edge, lay her peacefully sleeping teacher. The black of his tight undershirt had become a grey purple, and the white of his hair mirrored the sun right back out the window.

An unexpected blush came to her cheeks as Sakura found herself following the curve of his shoulders and tracing the scars on them with her eyes. If she could reach out and touch that calm, weathered, beaten back, what would happen to the natural order of the world? How would they go on if this became a habit? If his back became her new morning routine.

With a quiet yawn Sakura sat up, forcing her thoughts away from the kind man who'd put up with her over the last few days.

She examined the swelling bruise of her ankle, gingerly unwrapped the bandages, then gotten to work healing herself. 'It really was a clean sprain.' She discovered with gratitude.

After a few minutes Sakura stopped, rewrap the ankle, then experimentally tried to stand. Most of her weight still rested on the bed where she sat as she dipped the foot down onto the floor, then carefully placed her weight on it, and discovering that she felt no pain stood up just in time to hear her doorbell ring.

Quietly she snuck down the stairs so as not to wake Kakashi. At the door she found a rather happy, glowing looking sort of Ino.

"Good morning?" Sakura greeted her through a yawn, one hand tugging at her shirt the other wiping the corner of her eye.

"Hey, Hokage sent this for you…Gee, what happened?" Ino gave her friend a looking over, noticed the bandages but couldn't recall Sakura being sent on a recent mission.

"M? Oh, nothing. Feel down the stairs…" She mumbled the excuse while she opened the scroll.

Ino watched her eyes shift back and forth as Sakura reach the report, patrolling for any signs of a lie. Suddenly Sakura's eyes brows shot up.

"A mission? For me and Kakashi-sensei?"

…bwahaha….next chapter soon.

Oh yeah, everyone go search "The Fuzz Academy" make an account and make some friends. For every friend you make FuzzAcademy donates money to help The Nature Conservancy program save 1 sq. ft. and for every 100 people that join FA gives enough money to help the TNC plant one three.

Love to you all.


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